Pickup device for corncobs and the like



F. GROSS PICKUP DEVICE FOR CORNCOBS AND THE;V LIKE Aug. 29, 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 25, 1947 Aug' y F. GROSS, 2,520,764

PICKUP DEVICE FOR CORNCOBS AND'THE LIKE Filed Aug; 25, 1947. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 29, 1950 PICKUP DEVICE F R GORCGBS LIKE Frank Gross, Hutclinsongltiinn. Application fAllgustZB, 1947, kSerial No. 77105112 f2 claims. (lol. reif-mi). Y

.My invention relates Igenerally ito pickf-.upfdevices anzi .more specifically to .a @device for ,pickiing up and releasing articles such as corn cobs and the like from the ground.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a device which will enable a user to rapidly pick up and dispose of articles such as corn cobs or the like without stooping and with a minimum of eiort.

Another highly important object is the pro vision of such a pickup device having a stripper element operated by movements of the handle of the device whereby to eliminate additional stripper actuating mechanism such as a separate hand lever.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of such pickup device which is simple and inexpensive to build, rugged in'construction, light in weight, and durable in use.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification, appended claims, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings in which like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of my device;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation as seen from vthe right with respect to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of my pick-up device;

Fig. 4 is a View corresponding to Fig. 1, bui showing a different position of some of the parts; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring with greater detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a shank, to one end of which is rigidly7 secured a head in the nature of a plate 2. The plate 2 is provided with a plurality of spaced tines 3 which project outwardly therefrom in a direction longitudinally of the shank I. 'I'he tines 3 are arranged in parallel rows for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

On the opposite end of the shank I is pivotally mounted by means of a nut-equipped bolt 4, a handle indicated in its entirety by the numeral 5. 'Ihe handle 5 comprises a handle bracket 6 'and a hand grip I rigidly attached thereto. It will readily be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 4 that the end of the shank I is beveled to provide stop surfaces 8 and 9 which are adapted to engage a portion of the handle bracket 6 to limit pivotal movements of the handle 5.

An anchoring element in the form of a clamp I0 is pivotally secured to the handle bracket 6 I bylmeansoffamingeiI-I. yrfidiustably.'.secu-red within athmclaxnp I-'I)sare;=the.npper closed intermediate,

portions of a pair of inverted U-shaped members I2 which extend longitudinally of the shank I to a point slightly beyond the outer plane of the plate 2. At this point, the members I2 are bent to form stripper rods I3 which extend transversely of and adjacent the outer surface of the plate 2 between adjacent rows of the tines 3. At their end portions I4, the stripper rods I3 are formed to extend longitudinally of the shank I toward the handle member 5. The rods I2 and end portions I4 extend through and are loosely slidably retained by guides in the form of screw eyes I5 and I6 respectively, secured to opposite sides of the head 2. It Will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 that when the handle 5 is in the position of Fig. 1, the handle bracket 6 engages the stop surface 8 of the shank I and the stripper rods I3 are in a retracted inoperative position; and when the handle 5 is moved to the position of Fig. 4, with the bracket 6 engaging the stop surface 9 of the shank I, the stripper rods I3 are moved to the extended material stripping position shown in Fig. 4.

In use, such as in the removal of corn cobs from the ground within a hog pen or the like, the operator merely, by holding the hand grip 1, impales a corn cob or the like a' upon the tines 3. At this time, the stripper rods I3 are in a retracted inoperative position (see particularly Fig. 2). The user then holds the device over a suitable receptacle, such as a wheel barrow or the like, not shown, and by a simple snap wrist motion moves the handle 5 to the position of Fig. 4 which causes the rods I2, together with the stripper I3 thereof, to move to the operative material stripping position of Fig. 4, thereby eifectively removing the cob :c from the tines 3.

It has been found that when the cob :c has been impaled by the tines 3, an outward and upward swingingvmotion imparted to the device with a subsequent wrist action by the user may cause the cob .r to be tossed to a relatively distant receptacle (not shown) with great accuracy and with a minimum of effort. In fact, the operator by simply-holding the wrist motionless at the termination of the upward swinging motion thereof will permit an automatic stripping action caused by inertia of the upwardly moving device.

My invention, being light in weight and simple to operate, has been found in use to be of great value as a time and labor saving device.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the same is c apable of modification without de-v parture from the scope of the appended claimsfv prising spacefjlstripperrY rods eachfoperating be.

tween a'separate pair of rows of said tines and slidably carried by said head, a'handle pivote. to the other end of said shank, means on said. shank for limiting pivotal movements of vvsaid handle, Vand means connecting said stripper rods with said handle whereby pivotal movements of' said handle impart movements -to said stripper I rods longitudinally of said shank. i

2. In a device of the class described, a shank,Y Y a head on one end of said shank, a plurality of laterally-spaced rows ofparallel pick-up tines extendingoutwardly of saidl f head longitudinally of said shank, a pair 'of laterally-extending strip-V` perrrods having upturned free end portions slidably carried by said head, said stripper rods op-V erating each between adjacent rows of said tines, a handle mounted for limited pivotal movements on the other end of said shank, said stripper rods having their other ends secured to said handle, whereby pivotal movements of the handle impart movements to said stripper rods longitudinally of said shankfsaid stripper-,rods being vintegrally A formed vfrom ra single length of resilient Wire bent backward upon itself to provide a U-shaped member.

FRANK GROSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the .iile of ',-this patent:

v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number y Name Y* Date 390,049'n -White' v Sept. 25, 1888 

